Share Post:

Kings County nature lovers celebrated Earth Day at Prospect Park on Sunday, where park rangers lectured kids on the ABCs of conservation.

The Earth Day event featured a variety of green-themed lectures from nature-loving non-for-profits, which instructed youngsters on the finer points of catch-and-release fishing, before letting the pint-sized anglers cast their lines into Prospect Park Lake.

At least one little lady seemed to have found her calling as an angler, resolutely casting line after line — even though the fish weren’t biting, according to her mother.

“She didn’t catch anything, but I’ve never seen such an a amazing attention span for her, she sat there with the fishing rod for an hour and a half,” said Deborah Kirschner, a spokeswoman for Prospect Park Alliance, who brought daughter Ava Weinberg, 8, to the event.

Kyle Jones gives kids the baiscs on proper fishing techniques during Earth Day at Prospect Park.

Photo by Caroline Ourso

Other outdoor lessons included a hike through Brooklyn’s Backyard to have a gander at the park’s creepy-crawly residents, and a bird watching tour with an eye for migratory chicks that use Prospect Park as a resting stop on their journey south.

Speaking of birds, wildlife rescuer Bobby Horvath turned out to introduce kids to four fearsome raptors, an eagle owl, a kestrel, a barn owl, and a peregrine falcon, the fastest creature on earth.

The birds were all wild animals, but also common New York City residents, who’ve learned to adapt to the harsh realities city life, according to Horvath.

“These are animals that live right in your back yard,” he said. “It’s dangerous to live in the city, but these guy are adapting and they’re everywhere.”

Ali Watson, front left, and Ashley Mebert, back left, talk to kids about wildlife found in Prospect Park during the Prospect Park Alliance’s annual Earth Day Celebration.